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Wambat is holding a weekly raffle giveaway of Steam games to promote the Fourth Age Total War mod and his Let's Play campaign!

Re: This gets worse all the time!

what email provider do you use?
every time I have run across this in gmail for example, there is always an option to opt out of giving your phone number.

"If given the choice to be the shepherd or the sheep... be the wolf"
-Josh Homme
"That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!"
- Calvin

Re: This gets worse all the time!

The mobile number code thing has been around since some while if I'm not wrong. All I've got by putting my number in that box is a code from google everytime I try to sign into my account from a new machine, nothing else. No spam, no ads. So I don't think they're trying to breach your privacy.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

The alternate means is to link to another email address, also a means of closing a loop but if the alternate address is from the same place, you have to give your phone number to get in to get your "security code".

Education: that which reveals to the wise,
and conceals from the stupid,
the vast limits of their knowledge.
Mark Twain

Re: This gets worse all the time!

Just use AOL accounts.

In all these papers we see a love of honest work, an aversion to shams, a caution in the enunciation of conclusions, a distrust of rash generalizations and speculations based on uncertain premises. He was never anxious to add one more guess on doubtful matters in the hope of hitting the truth, or what might pass as such for a time, but was always ready to take infinite pains in the most careful testing of every theory. With these qualities was united a modesty which forbade the pushing of his own claims and desired no reputation except the unsought tribute of competent judges.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

...you mean the evil gubmintz can get access to the same information they'd find in the phone book? Scary.

I think it's the reverse, by knowing the phone number you can backtrack the e-mail owner. If it's the other way I agree.

That type of confirmation system is old though, I've encountered it back in 04-05. Since I was late an didn't get a cell until 06, that was a bit of a problem.

We are all aware that the senses can be deceived, the eyes fooled. But how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Might I just be a brain in a tank somewhere, tricked all my life into believing in the events of this world by some insane computer? And does my life gain or lose meaning based on my reaction to such solipsism?

Re: This gets worse all the time!

I honestly don't see why the government shouldn't be able to tie an email account to a person, just like they can tie a mailbox to a person.

This privacy hysteria is starting to get as annoying as the security hysteria. Be gone both of you, you give me cancer.

You give me migraines sometimes HoreTore. Apparently the world you wish to live in is a world of no privacy, rampant sexual hedonism and polyamory and everything is given to you by the government.

OH MY GOD. HoreTore has either never read Brave New World​ or he did. And I don't know which is scarier.

In all these papers we see a love of honest work, an aversion to shams, a caution in the enunciation of conclusions, a distrust of rash generalizations and speculations based on uncertain premises. He was never anxious to add one more guess on doubtful matters in the hope of hitting the truth, or what might pass as such for a time, but was always ready to take infinite pains in the most careful testing of every theory. With these qualities was united a modesty which forbade the pushing of his own claims and desired no reputation except the unsought tribute of competent judges.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

That is, unless you interpret it as the story of final victory over barbarism.

Well how old are you now son?

In all these papers we see a love of honest work, an aversion to shams, a caution in the enunciation of conclusions, a distrust of rash generalizations and speculations based on uncertain premises. He was never anxious to add one more guess on doubtful matters in the hope of hitting the truth, or what might pass as such for a time, but was always ready to take infinite pains in the most careful testing of every theory. With these qualities was united a modesty which forbade the pushing of his own claims and desired no reputation except the unsought tribute of competent judges.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

You give me migraines sometimes HoreTore. Apparently the world you wish to live in is a world of no privacy, rampant sexual hedonism and polyamory and everything is given to you by the government.

OH MY GOD. HoreTore has either never read Brave New World​ or he did. And I don't know which is scarier.

Privacy is good, but this privacy wave we're seeing now is getting absurd. It gets in the way of sensible policies, like removing money and switching to electronic payment, because apparently it's super-important to "protect privacy".

But don't get me wrong, I still consider airport security to be a lot dumber...

Also, Brave New World is neither russian or french, nor eritten before the 20th century. Thus, I haven't read it. Though the utopia you describe does sound tasty.... Will there be a ban on hipsters too? If so, I'm in.

In all these papers we see a love of honest work, an aversion to shams, a caution in the enunciation of conclusions, a distrust of rash generalizations and speculations based on uncertain premises. He was never anxious to add one more guess on doubtful matters in the hope of hitting the truth, or what might pass as such for a time, but was always ready to take infinite pains in the most careful testing of every theory. With these qualities was united a modesty which forbade the pushing of his own claims and desired no reputation except the unsought tribute of competent judges.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

My aim, then, was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

I honestly don't see why the government shouldn't be able to tie an email account to a person, just like they can tie a mailbox to a person.

This privacy hysteria is starting to get as annoying as the security hysteria. Be gone both of you, you give me cancer.

The goverment should be able to know everything about your public persona yes, it's the question how deep the protection of a private life should be. Should you be able to have a private e-mail akin to post boxes or maildrops?

More general, I do get the feeling that this will end up with AI:s knowing everything about everybody. Filtering and chross checking through a ton of data feels like their niche and NSA would keep thier data gathering, while making a small privacy concession about their employers using it to check out the ex-girlfriend's new husband.

We are all aware that the senses can be deceived, the eyes fooled. But how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Might I just be a brain in a tank somewhere, tricked all my life into believing in the events of this world by some insane computer? And does my life gain or lose meaning based on my reaction to such solipsism?

Not that surprising, a lot of Germans already thought our government is dishonest about this. And they want our own spying to stop as much as yours. The BND hasn't even made a secret about wanting to spy on us more every since the first stuff from Snowden was revealed, I posted it here long ago...
But keep laughing if it boosts you ego.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

I'm confused. They are using your phone# as an authentification tool, or they just asked for it out of the blue? If they are using it for authentification, they already have it so there is no issue. If they want it otherwise, just lie. I do it all the time with websites and register drones asking for zip codes and phone numbers.

Re: This gets worse all the time!

No, they want the phone number so they can call and verify that it is you trying to log in. Of course if someone else has hijacked an account and gives a different phone number the account is lost, so how is this so secure.

I didn’t ask for added security. Anything computer plugged into a wall and connected to a phone line can be hacked anyway.

On the one hand I would love to talk to a live rep from the company so I can give them a piece of my mind. But I know it will only be some poor contractor from India or Pakistan on the other end and this is just to tie up lose ends on their meta data tracking.

Education: that which reveals to the wise,
and conceals from the stupid,
the vast limits of their knowledge.
Mark Twain

Re: This gets worse all the time!

Originally Posted by drone

I'm confused. They are using your phone# as an authentification tool, or they just asked for it out of the blue? If they are using it for authentification, they already have it so there is no issue. If they want it otherwise, just lie. I do it all the time with websites and register drones asking for zip codes and phone numbers.

Meh, don't make it up, give them a sex line, your worst enemies, tax line or better still a politicians.

Our genes maybe in the basement but it does not stop us chosing our point of view from the top.

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Pape for global overlord!!

Originally Posted by English assassin

Squid sources report that scientists taste "sort of like chicken"

Originally Posted by frogbeastegg

The rest is either as average as advertised or, in the case of the missionary, disappointing.